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W.E.W Volume 8

January 24, 2014

The weekend is so close I can almost taste it! (It tastes like no alarm clock and pizza.) Before we head off for fun, frolic, or even just hanging out on the couch watching TV with our friends, let’s take a look at what happened in the world of body stuffs this week.

First up, check out Elly Mayday, a 25-year-old woman who is a plus-size model. When she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, it didn’t stop her modeling career – in a series of new photos, she “bares all,” showing off her bald head and her scars. As I’ve said before, there are millions of different looks in the world, and that applies not just to body size, but includes people of all levels of health as well. We know people like Elly in our lives, why shouldn’t we see them in the media?

Now, let’s contrast that with this: American Eagle is all “we’re showing REAL girls in our bras and stuff” (I’m paraphrasing). Um, yeah, but you’re still showcasing thin, proportionate, beautiful women, they’re just not as thin or as “perfect” or as bosomy as the typical lingerie models. Here’s a quote from the article that sums it up nicely:

And therein lies the problem. All that American Eagle has managed to do is replace one archetype — the skinny-but-buxom Victoria’s Secret runway model — with another — the thin but approachable young woman with “imperfections” such as an individual mole or a small cursive tattoo.

I guess it’s a step in the right direction, but the step is about one one millionth of a millimeter in length.

Next up: What’s it like to be a fat girl? For a powerful and eloquent answer to that question, read this essay by The Colored Fountain.

Here’s a little bit of levity before we wrap things up. Thanks to Mary for this one!

And finally, here’s something that really got me in the feels. I don’t usually pay attention to commercials, but I have always loved this poem, so it caught my ear. What a powerful statement: